Trainer Gerald Ryan will extend Ahdashim's current campaign and his distance range with the Villiers Stakes on his program.The Group Two race on December 19 is the biggest feature of the Sydney summer and although Ahdashim has yet to win beyond 1300 metres Ryan has confidence in his ability to handle the 1600 of the Villiers.The consistent gelding was placed at three of his first four starts this preparation before scoring a tough win over the 1200m straight course at Flemington on Melbourne Cup

Trainer Gerald Ryan will extend Ahdashim's current campaign and his distance range with the Villiers Stakes on his program.

The Group Two race on December 19 is the biggest feature of the Sydney summer and although Ahdashim has yet to win beyond 1300 metres Ryan has confidence in his ability to handle the 1600 of the Villiers.

The consistent gelding was placed at three of his first four starts this preparation before scoring a tough win over the 1200m straight course at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.

His one length fourth in the Group Two Race-Tech Stakes (1500m) won by Nine Tales at Sandown On November 14 convinced his trainer it was worth bringing him home to Sydney to continue his campaign.

"He will run in the Festival Stakes in two weeks and if he succeeds over 1500 metres in that then he will go on to the Villiers," Ryan said.

"He has only had six starts this preparation and is coping well.

"If we wait till the autumn with him then he is likely to strike wet tracks so we might as well keep going.

"I was happy with his last run. He sat outside the leader all the way and only got beaten a length.

"His pedigree says he will get 1600 metres and trained properly he will."

Ahdashim is by Elusive City out of unraced Dance Floor mare Clinique.

Ryan had his share of disappointments over the spring including a three month ban placed on promising colt Rothesay when he suffered a bleeding attack during the Roman Consul Stakes.

Consistent filly Melito raced in the highest company and recorded a win in the Furious Stakes and second in the Group One Thousand Guineas but her preparation ended in disaster when she ran a long last in the VRC Oaks.

Ready To Lift, winner of last year's Christmas Cup-Summer Cup double and second in the Brisbane Cup, was Ryan's hope for a Melbourne Cup runner but that plan was aborted when she failed in the Caulfield and Moonee Valley Cups.

"She's had three starts in Melbourne and doesn't seem to handle the left handed way of going," Ryan said.

"She will come back after Christmas and get ready for the Brisbane Cup again.

"Melito will have a few more weeks off and come back for the fillies and mares races in the autumn.

"Corey (Brown) said he was very concerned about her in the Oaks because she made an awful noise and he thought she was choking down.

"He virtually pulled her out of the race after that.

"I don't think we will be trying to get her up to the long distances again."